Cold Cap, Wig or Commando?

Hair loss is inevitable with the type of frontline drug most women are given for ovarian cancer treatment. How to deal with this side effect? Well, that’s where you get to make the decision.

Chemo cold cap

Chemo cold caps are caps that lower the temperature of your scalp during chemotherapy to reduce or prevent hair loss. Cold caps can be expensive and they don't always work. Some cancer centers make them available to patients as part of the treatment plan. If yours doesn’t, there are several organizations that provide them and/or allow for you to rent them.

Cold cap therapy can extend your treatment days by about 3 hours or so, which can be too much for some people. Cap and Conquer is an amazing organization that helps with funding resources for the cold capping process.

What about wigs?

Wigs can be fun! They can also be very heavy and hot. I had no idea! And if you’re body is anything like mine was, the hot flashes from menopause and treatment combined were more than I could handle. I often had to take the wig off before I got to my destination.

I had two younger children at the time and for their sakes, I wore it 2 or 3 times total until they were use to their mom not having hair. Specifically, my daughter wanted to ensure no one would make fun of me. But if you’re just not comfortable going the no hair-route, head to your nearest wig shop and start trying wigs on in advance of losing your hair. It takes some time to order them.  Some insurance companies also provide some coverage. For me, after reaching my deductible, I received a few hundred dollars. All I had to do was turn in the receipts.

Choosing to go commando

Ultimately, I chose to go commando. No wig. Maybe a ballcap every now and then. I embraced what I didn’t think I possibly could. I think it actually made my confidence soar. When you have no hair, and all eyes are on you, you have no choice but to own it. You're forced to hold your head high and smile.

To distract from my baldness, I wore fabulous earrings. Who knew how much it would actually work AND how fun it could be! Instead of focusing on my bald head, people started gifting me large pairs of earrings to wear. It was great!

Make the decision that is best for you

Whichever choice you make, be sure it’s one you are comfortable with, one that you can fully get behind and that makes you as okay with losing your hair as you can be.